Chapter 29

At 7 PM, during peak traffic hours for live streaming websites, coupled with the earlier buzz from the afternoon’s trending topic, the “Let’s Go Traveling Together” live stream had been the most popular, with real-time viewers exceeding one million.

At this moment, on the first floor of the villa, everyone was seated around the dining table, except for Du Yueqin, who stood nearby, gazing at the group with a forlorn look.

The awkward atmosphere among the guests spread, but in the live chat, joy was contagious:

—“Who’s happy? It’s me!”

—”Everyone else was busy in the kitchen, but Du Yueqin was the only one slacking off. Now that it’s time to eat, she’s come downstairs, and no one is talking to her. Isn’t that well-deserved?”

—”Alright, I’ve decided. I’m watching this show until the end! This show knows how to hit the spot for viewers!”

Most netizens found the other guests’ reactions satisfying, but a few didn’t approve:

—”After all, they’re filming a show together and will see each other every day. Isn’t this a bit too much?”

In response, other netizens collectively said, “If you think it’s too much, why don’t you volunteer to cook for Du Yueqin and be her nanny?”

These few dissenters quickly disappeared.

Putting oneself in others’ shoes, no one likes people who slack off, so most people were happy to see this scene.

Papa and Mama Huo were also watching the live stream. Seeing this comment, Mama Huo quickly gave it a like, then found Gou Shi’s Weibo and laughed out loud with Papa Huo.

In front of the surveillance monitors, the director and the producer exchanged glances.

The director’s voice was a bit distant and strained, “…Should we send a staff member to say something?”

After all, the live stream was ongoing!

They still had a whole day of filming tomorrow!@@novelbin@@

They couldn’t really let Du Yueqin just stand there watching the other guests eat, right?!

The producer hesitated, “But President Qin also said today…”

Their variety show had no script, and aside from the necessary procedures, everything else was up to the guests. The staff only needed to be prepared for any PR issues if the guests made mistakes.

“It’s just that they didn’t invite Du Yueqin to eat with them, but they did prepare utensils for her. She’s the one not coming over.” The producer tried to convince himself.

The producer gradually convinced himself, “And at least there’s no argument right now, right? It’s much better than having a direct confrontation on the live stream this afternoon. The atmosphere can be described as harmonious!”

Director: “…”

Such harmony indeed.

He could see it clearly now; their hearts were as big as their ambitions.

But the director had to admit that the producer had a point.

Who said they had to invite Du Yueqin to eat just because they finished cooking?

There was no such rule, and it made no sense!

The director took a deep breath and successfully convinced himself to relax for the future.

Inside the villa.

Ye Leyao put away his phone after laughing, then quickly glanced at Song Zhehan.

Qin Yao followed Ye Leyao’s gaze and guessed that Song Zhehan had posted another Weibo update.

So he also took out his phone and checked all of Song Zhehan’s afternoon and evening Weibo posts.

After reading them, Qin Yao couldn’t help but smile.

When he saw Gou Shi’s latest Weibo post, Qin Yao raised an eyebrow.

No wonder Song Zhehan’s Weibo side account was quickly discovered by netizens.

He was naming people directly on Weibo. This wasn’t a case of fearing discovery; it seemed like he wanted netizens to find it!

Maybe Song Zhehan himself was looking forward to the day his side account would be exposed.

Qin Yao took a deep breath and prayed that netizens would take their time discovering Song Zhehan’s Weibo side account, at least until their variety show finished recording!

After putting away his phone, Ye Leyao scanned the people in the dining room.

Qin Yao was still looking at his phone, not even glancing up.

Zhou Zijian, wanting no further entanglements with Du Yueqin, sat between Song Zhehan and Li Siyuan.

As for Song Zhehan, he completely ignored Du Yueqin, being someone who held grudges.

Then Ye Leyao looked at Yang Qi and Liu Yan. They seemed hesitant, but Liu Yan was still upset about Du Yueqin scolding her in the afternoon, and Yang Qi didn’t want to get involved in any trouble.

[So we’re really not going to call her?]

[If she keeps standing there, can we even eat?]

The term “punishment standing” was very fitting.

Qin Yao’s mouth curled up slightly.

Suddenly, Li Siyuan stood up abruptly.

Everyone’s eyes instantly focused on him.

The live viewers also perked up:

—”Did I guess wrong? I thought one of the two female guests would speak up first!”

—”Is Li Siyuan realizing he shouldn’t have argued with Du Yueqin this afternoon and is now going to make amends?”

Li Siyuan’s fans laughed at this comment:

—”Do you really know Li Siyuan?”

—”No way, no way? You think Li Siyuan has such a good temper?”

Fortunately, Ye Leyao couldn’t see the comments; otherwise, he would have the same reaction as Li Siyuan’s fans and sincerely suggest the netizens rewatch the afternoon’s live stream.

It was soon proven that Li Siyuan indeed did not have a good temper.

He didn’t walk towards Du Yueqin but went straight into the kitchen.

Another camera clearly showed him taking a ladle from the utensil box.

Netizens couldn’t hold back:

—”Hahaha, so he stood up just to get a ladle?”

—”Hahaha, I thought Li Siyuan was going to resolve the situation!”

—”Resolve the situation? You think too highly of Li Siyuan. If he doesn’t escalate things, it’s a sign he’s had an epiphany today!”

Fans indeed understood Li Siyuan well but not as well as Ye Leyao—

Ye Leyao observed Li Siyuan’s route:

[Why is Li Siyuan walking towards Du Yueqin?]

There were several paths back to the table, and Du Yueqin was near the kitchen but not at the entrance. Li Siyuan could easily avoid her, but he walked directly towards her this time.

Qin Yao followed his gaze.

Ye Leyao’s mouth curled up in anticipation:

[Is Li Siyuan going to confront her directly?]

Sure enough, as soon as Ye Leyao’s thoughts settled, Qin Yao heard Li Siyuan say, “Are you standing here to do the dishes? It’s a bit early; we haven’t finished eating yet.”

Ye Leyao: “Pfft—”

Ye Leyao closed his eyes.

[Who understands? I really tried to hold back my laughter, but I couldn’t!]

Qin Yao lowered his eyes slightly, hiding the smile in them.

After so many years as an actor, he couldn’t suppress his laughter, so it would be a miracle if Ye Leyao could.

Zhou Zijian was even more exaggerated; upon hearing Li Siyuan’s words, he immediately choked and burst into a fit of violent coughing.

If you listened carefully, you could hear a few clear laughs mixed in with the coughs.

Liu Yan and Yang Qi were more obvious. They didn’t even dare look at Du Yueqin, afraid she would see them laughing, so they turned their heads away.

As for Song Zhehan—

He didn’t even try to hold back his laughter. The moment Li Siyuan finished speaking, his mouth curled up high, and he leaned back in his chair to watch the show, even taking out his phone.

The live viewers were even more exaggerated, filling the screen with “hahaha” for a full seven or eight seconds.

Du Yueqin’s face turned red and white with anger at Li Siyuan’s words, her eyes filled with rage as she glared at him, “You—”

“What about me?” Li Siyuan raised an eyebrow and said, “You didn’t help with cooking; you showed up just in time for dinner, and you’re complaining about washing dishes afterward?”

“If you really don’t want to eat, then go play somewhere else. We don’t need you to wash dishes, and standing there with that face is ruining my appetite.” With that, Li Siyuan turned and went back to the dining table.

Ye Leyao turned his face away, laughing so hard his shoulders were shaking.

The other guests also had varying degrees of visible and hidden smiles on their faces.

Li Siyuan, after his outburst, acted as if nothing had happened and sat down at the table, saying to everyone, “Let’s eat, or the food will get cold.”

[Hahahahahaha—]

Ye Leyao covered his face with his hand, trying to make his laughter less exaggerated.

But this scene was in full view of the camera, and the live viewers laughed even harder at his reaction.

—”Who understands? I’ve been watching variety shows for so many years, and this is the first time I’ve seen a guest get angry, and the others remain unfazed and do not try to calm them down! You all are too considerate of my health!”

—”We’re all just colleagues here to film a show! Why should everyone have to pamper and coddle you! This is refreshing!!”

—”+1! This variety show is perfect for someone like me who loves drama!”

The barrage was full of harmonious laughter, and the guests in the villa happily finished their dinner, except for Yang Qi.

Zhou Zijian was very good at cooking, so he prepared the ingredients in just the right amounts.

Even without knowing Du Yueqin wouldn’t be eating tonight, he had prepared a portion for her.

So the food Zhou Zijian prepared tonight was more than enough.

Liu Yan was the first to put down her chopsticks. As a female idol, she had always had strong self-control.

Following her, the other male guests at the table also gradually put down their chopsticks, leaving only Yang Qi still eating.

She looked around in surprise and asked, “Are you all full already?”

Liu Yan wasn’t full, but she didn’t dare to eat more. She looked at Yang Qi enviously and said, “Sister Yang Qi, don’t you gain weight eating like this?”

Yang Qi smiled, “No, I eat like this every day!”

Ye Leyao averted his gaze meaningfully:

[Are the villa’s toilets newly installed?]

Qin Yao was puzzled for a moment.

Then Ye Leyao continued:

[I hope the toilets don’t get clogged.]

Qin Yao: “…”

If they did get clogged, that would indeed be quite ridiculous!

After finishing a bowl of rice, Yang Qi glanced at the others and suddenly stood up, saying a bit embarrassedly, “I want to make some instant noodles. Do you want any?”

Zhou Zijian kindly asked, “Do you need any help?”

Yang Qi smiled and said, “No, I can handle making instant noodles.”

Ye Leyao stood up first, smiling, “I’ll help you cook?”

Yang Qi’s smile froze for a moment but quickly returned, “No need; it’s too much trouble for you.”

Song Zhehan’s gaze first fell on Ye Leyao, and after a moment, as if understanding something, he also went into the kitchen and said, “I’ll help too.”

Ye Leyao glanced at him:

[What help is needed for making instant noodles? I’m just here for the fun. Unless—]

Ye Leyao observed the expression on Song Zhehan’s face and commented:

[To maintain his persona, Song Zhehan is working hard, though his acting might need some polishing.]

Qin Yao chuckled and glanced at the camera beside him.

Yes, they were still live streaming.

So he leisurely stood up and followed them into the kitchen.

Yang Qi returned with the instant noodles, and seeing the three of them surrounding the kitchen, she almost couldn’t maintain her expression.

The water quickly boiled, and the three had no intention of leaving. Yang Qi couldn’t even sneak in half a noodle cake and had to tearfully put the whole cake into the boiling pot.

Ye Leyao observed her expression:

[Wow, Yang Qi’s hands are shaking.]

Qin Yao nodded; they were indeed shaking.

Ye Leyao continued to laugh:

[Look how happy Yang Qi is; she’s so happy her eyes are red.]

Qin Yao glanced over, the corners of his mouth lifting.

She did look quite happy—happy to the point of tears.

At this moment, Song Zhehan thoughtfully added, “It looks like you didn’t get enough to eat. How about I open another pack of instant noodles for you?”

Ye Leyao’s shoulders shook, barely holding back his laughter.

[Truly, Song Zhehan!]

Qin Yao also couldn’t help but smile, turning his head slightly.

Yang Qi felt like she almost choked on a mouthful of blood, quickly shaking her head, “No, no, this is enough. If I eat any more, I won’t be able to finish it, which would be wasteful…”

Ye Leyao glanced at Yang Qi:

[You know what waste is? I thought you didn’t know how to spell those words.]

Song Zhehan continued to gently persuade, “Didn’t you say you weren’t full? How about cooking another pack to avoid getting hungry in the middle of the night?”

Ye Leyao silently added:

[She’ll just wake up to throw up.]

Yang Qi dared not add another pack of instant noodles. She couldn’t even finish the pack in the pot, shaking her head vigorously, “Really, this is enough. I’ll be full after this pack!”

As if afraid Song Zhehan wouldn’t believe her, she repeated, “Really!”

A flash of regret passed through Song Zhehan’s eyes before he removed his hand from the instant noodles with a helpless expression, “Alright then, but if you don’t get full after eating, let me know, and I’ll cook another pack for you.”

Yang Qi’s face almost turned green, but she couldn’t reject Song Zhehan’s kindness and had to nod reluctantly, “Okay.”

[Why do I feel like she said ‘okay’ through gritted teeth?]

Ye Leyao, afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold back his laughter, quickly left the kitchen, curled up on the sofa, and started laughing into a cushion.

This scene didn’t go unnoticed by the other guests, who looked over in puzzlement.

Qin Yao followed and sat down beside Ye Leyao without explaining, just sitting there.

The live viewers quickly sensed something unusual:

—”Why do I feel like there’s something juicy going on?”

—”Didn’t Yang Qi go to cook instant noodles with everyone helping? Did I miss something exciting?”

—”No way, right? I just saw normal chatting, was there some drama I missed?”

—”Ye Leyao, what are you laughing about? Can you tell us so we can laugh together?”

—”Yeah, and why does Qin Yao look so amused too? Don’t laugh secretly, tell us so we can all laugh!”

The viewers on the live stream were getting anxious, but Ye Leyao and Qin Yao didn’t seem inclined to explain.

Before long, Yang Qi finished cooking the instant noodles and came out of the kitchen with Song Zhehan following her.

Since dinner was prepared by Zhou Zijian, with Ye Leyao, Qin Yao, Song Zhehan, and Li Siyuan helping, Liu Yan and Yang Qi volunteered to wash the dishes.

After dinner, everyone moved from the dining table to the sofa in the living room to rest.

Yang Qi brought out her instant noodles, expecting Song Zhehan to go rest on the sofa as well, but unexpectedly, he followed her back to the dining table, sitting across from her with a smile.

Faced with steaming instant noodles and a smiling Song Zhehan across from her, Ye Leyao felt his face stiffen from holding back laughter:

[Yang Qi must understand the meaning of ‘sweating profusely’ now.]

Just then, Song Zhehan smiled and asked, “Would you like me to fry an egg for you? Just eating instant noodles isn’t very nutritious.”

Very gentle, very considerate, perfectly in line with his persona!

The live viewers saw this and reacted:

—”Awww, my A-Song is still as thoughtful as ever!”

—”So warm!”

—”Darn it, A-Song, you’re not allowed to be so gentle with the female guests, I’m really going to get jealous!”

Ye Leyao opened the live stream and saw the real-time comments, laughing:

[Yang Qi is about to cry, and you fans are still saying Song Zhehan is gentle, hahaha—]

[If this is called gentle, then how do you spell ‘calculating’?]

Ye Leyao laughed heartily, while another wave of viewers grew increasingly anxious:

—”Ye Leyao! What exactly are you laughing about?”

—”Am I blind? Everything seemed normal just now!”

—”Yeah, I even rewatched the live replay, and nothing seemed off!”

The comments were coming in so fast that Ye Leyao, sneaking peeks at the live stream, didn’t notice them, but Papa and Mama Huo did.

The staff’s break room was right across from the guest villa, just close enough for them to hear Ye Leyao’s inner thoughts and watch the live stream on the staff’s big screen.

While the viewers didn’t know what was happening, Papa and Mama Huo knew everything.

Seeing the viewers getting anxious, Mama Huo couldn’t help but send a comment: “Is it possible that Yang Qi is already full? Leyao is laughing at Song Zhehan for offering to fry an egg, knowing she can’t eat anymore?”

Normally, a comment in a live stream with thousands of viewers would have a low chance of being seen, but Mama Huo’s comment was pinned to the top of the screen, scrolling across.

Mama Huo was stunned when she saw this scene: “Hey, why is it pinned at the top?”

Li Li, hearing this, came over, saw it, and was also stunned. Then she asked, “Madam, isn’t your account a Supreme Account?”

Mama Huo was puzzled: “Supreme Account?”

Li Li explained, “A Supreme Account requires a top-up of one million on the website. Once you reach this amount, it automatically upgrades to a Supreme Account. After that, any comment you post will be automatically recognized and pinned by the system, scrolling across the live stream.”

Papa Huo recalled, “Didn’t you give our third son a lot of gifts before?”

Mama Huo also remembered and asked Li Li, “So, there shouldn’t be any problem with my comment, right?”

Li Li looked down and saw that the direction of the live comments had changed.

—“What do you mean by ‘full’? Yang Qi didn’t want to trouble anyone; that’s why she didn’t ask for help.”

—“Forget it, I can’t be bothered explaining to people who don’t know Yang Qi. I just feel sorry for my baby, who didn’t get enough to eat and had to cook noodles herself.”

—“Anyone who’s watched Yang Qi’s live stream knows she can eat a lot. But that Ye whatever Yao is laughing for no reason, like he’s got some big disease.”

Li Li: “…”

There was indeed a bit of a problem.

Mama Huo saw these comments and was both amused and angry. She directly opened her keyboard and typed: “Wasting food isn’t a disease?”

The comment continued to scroll in bold at the top of the screen.

Li Li opened her mouth, wanting to advise Mama Huo, considering Yang Qi is known to have a big appetite, and continuing this might bring more negativity to Ye Leyao. But before she could speak, Papa Huo had also opened the live stream, logged into his Supreme Account, and joined Mama Huo’s camp.

Papa Huo: “What’s wrong with liking to laugh? I just like laughing at people who waste food, so what?”

Li Li: “…”

What could she do? She could only watch.

Inside the villa, Ye Leyao couldn’t keep sneaking peeks at the live comments and put his phone away after a while.

Half an hour later, Yang Qi finally finished her bowl of instant noodles with difficulty.

Ye Leyao glanced at her and saw her face looking quite bad.

[Looks like she overate.]

Qin Yao couldn’t disagree; she did overeat.

After Liu Yan and Yang Qi finished washing the dishes, the day’s filming was about over.

Although they only filmed for half a day, everyone was a bit tired. They didn’t chat long in the living room before preparing to return to their rooms.

Before leaving, Song Zhehan didn’t forget to pat Zhou Zijian on the shoulder and say, “Remember to lock your door tonight.”

Zhou Zijian’s face instantly turned red.

The group couldn’t help but have amused expressions.

Zhou Zijian, looking embarrassed, still said, “Thanks, I’ll remember.”

Ye Leyao laughed even harder internally.

Qin Yao rubbed his slightly sore ears and patted Ye Leyao on the shoulder: “Let’s go back.”

Ye Leyao quickly nodded and followed Qin Yao upstairs.

The others also went upstairs to their rooms, one by one.

The guests left, but the live stream stayed on.

The show needed to gather material, and some night owl viewers would drop by occasionally.

Ye Leyao returned to his room, lay on the bed for a while, and then got up to take a shower.

He opened the room door and saw Qin Yao coming out of the bathroom with just a towel around his waist. Ye Leyao’s eyes couldn’t help but wander over Qin Yao’s body, growing more amazed the longer he looked.

[Wow, President Qin has abs, that V-line, those pecs—]

Qin Yao felt his ears burning and quickly opened the door to the adjacent bedroom.

As the door closed, he heard Ye Leyao’s exclamations:

[Why does his back look so good too? No wonder he’s a film emperor; his body management is—]

[Hey? What’s that noise outside?]

Ye Leyao put his clothes on the living room sofa and opened the suite door, following the sound upstairs.

The viewers who were about to leave the live stream stopped when they saw Ye Leyao.

—“Why isn’t Ye Leyao sleeping this late?”

—“Wasn’t he just admiring Qin Yao’s abs? Why leave so soon?!”

—“That’s not Ye Leyao leaving; it’s Qin Yao being stingy and going back to his room!” Fans complained.

—“So what’s Ye Leyao doing upstairs?”

Ye Leyao had already reached the third floor, where both suite doors were wide open. Song Zhehan was knocking on the bathroom door.

Li Siyuan and Liu Yan were standing at the doors of their respective suites.

Seeing the three, Song Zhehan wondered, “Was my knocking loud?”

Ye Leyao nodded.

Very, extremely loud. It was hard not to think you did it on purpose.

Song Zhehan explained, “Just now, Li Siyuan was in the bathroom, so I wanted to use the other bathroom, but I kept hearing strange noises inside—”

Before he could finish, the bathroom door was opened.

Yang Qi stood there, her face pale, one hand on her stomach, looking uncomfortable: “I… I was in the bathroom.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Liu Yan asked, noticing her pale face.

Yang Qi’s expression grew even worse.

Ye Leyao instantly understood:

[So Yang Qi was in the bathroom throwing up, right?]

[She took so long to open the door; could she have clogged the toilet?]

Qin Yao, who had followed upstairs, paused.

Then they heard Song Zhehan say, “It’s fine; just come out. I knocked and heard vomiting sounds…” He frowned, looking serious and worried at Yang Qi, joking, “I was scared for a moment, thinking a guest might be pregnant.”

Yang Qi’s expression instantly became quite interesting.

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